Sandeel fishery underway for 2026 with focus on Area 1 as Denmark reports early landings and quota uptake across Danish ports early
The sandeel season began this year on 01 April.
The applicable conditions for the sandeel fishery in 2025 are set out in Executive Order No. 16 on immediate regulation, which can be read on the Danish Fisheries Agency’s website.
Sandeel Management Area 1r: 88,993 tonnes
Sandeel Management Area 2r: 4,662 tonnes
Sandeel Management Area 3r: 0 tonnes
Sandeel Management Area 4: 0 tonnes
Sandeel Management Area 5r: 0 tonnes
Sandeel Management Area 6: 104 tonnes
Sandeel Management Area 7r: 0 tonnes
Sandeel fields in the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat
ICES’ advice on the sandeel fishery in the individual management areas in 2025 can be read and downloaded from the ICES website.
DTU Aqua’s sandeel dredge survey, carried out in November–December 2024, showed a relatively low recruitment of juvenile fish to the stock. On this basis, and in line with the biological advice, the total Danish sandeel quota for 2025 has been set at 93,759 tonnes, corresponding to a reduction of 8.64 per cent compared with last year’s fishing opportunities.
Sandeel landed in week 16: 567 tonnes.
Total (weeks 14–16): 567 tonnes.
Sandeel landed in Norway in week 16: 0 tonnes.
Total (weeks 14–16): 0 tonnes.
Total landed overall: 567 tonnes.
To date, 100 per cent of the total European quota (97,349 tonnes) has been landed in Denmark.
